Areas of Interest

A long interest in the idea of structural analysis of the evolution of the global economy (see Springer 2009)

Adoption of new digital technologies in specific economic settings (especially mining and agriculture)

21st Century disrupted innovation policy – adapting to the cyber-economy as much as simply promoting firms to create “innovation”

About

"To focus on innovation as a career is simply to be captivated by change. To want to understand change you have to try and measure it. However, by its very nature technological innovation rewires economies. We can see this more clearly than ever before with new digital business models changing entire economic structures in retail and transport and other new technologies beginning to change energy models."

During the 1990s, Brian worked for the Australian government on measures of innovation and agricultural science policy. In the early 2000s, he worked for a university research centre (AGEIS at what is now called Western Sydney University). Since moving to British Columbia in 2004, Brian has been involved in research projects on clusters and city innovation systems in Canada, research system evaluations and much more.

Currently (2018) he is finishing up research on digital technology adoption in prairie agriculture.

Doctor of Philosophy (Commerce), 2006, University of Western Sydney. Thesis title: Systems of Innovation Beyond Borders: Linked Clustering and the Role, Scale and Spatial Structure of Extraterritorial Interdependencies.

Wixted, B. and Holbrook, J.A.D. (2011) ‘Innovation, cities and place: an empirical study of the knowledge system in Vancouver and its place on the Pacific Rim’ in Melkas, H. and Harmaakorpi , V. eds. (2011) Practice-based Innovation: Insights, Applications and Policy Implications. Berlin: Springer.